Biden Touts Investment in Pennsylvania's Infrastructure

Written by Anthony Hennen, The Center Square
Published Oct. 21, 2022

President Joe Biden, in a visit to Pittsburgh, PA, on Oct. 20, touted his administration’s infrastructure investments in front of an almost-completed Fern Hollow Bridge that collapsed nine months ago.

The president spent most of his time emphasizing federal funding for infrastructure projects ranging from roads and bridges to railroads, service pipes, airport terminal upgrades and broadband internet.

“For most of the last century, we led the world by a significant margin because we invested in our people, we invested in ourselves, we invested in our

Carvana Sues Michigan After Officials Suspended Its License to Sell Cars

Written by Jamie L. LaReau, Detroit Free Press
Published Oct. 19, 2022

Car dealership Carvanaaccused Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson of violating state laws after the state suspended the license of the Carvana dealership in Novi, MI, earlier in October, and it wants the courts to intervene.

On Oct. 13, Carvana filed injunction motions with the Michigan Court of Claims asking for an immediate stop to the secretary of state’s "illegal and irresponsible attempt to shut down a growing Michigan business with tens of thousands of customers over what amounts to technical paperwork violations involving title and

Michigan Suspends Novi Car Dealership Carvana's License Citing 'Imminent Harm' to Public

Written by Jamie L. LaReau, Detroit Free Press
PublishedOct. 13, 2022

The Michigan Department of State has suspended the license of the Carvanadealership in Novi, MI, for "imminent harm to the public," a claim Carvana calls "baseless."

In a media release, the state said Carvana LLC, owned by Paul Breaux and located off of Novi Road near I-96, committed several alleged violations of the Michigan Vehicle Code. The alleged violations were discovered during an investigation by the state regulatory staff of multiple complaints from consumers about title problems with their vehicles.

A phone

California to Crack Down on Catalytic Converter Theft

Written by Madison Hirneisen, The Center Square
Published Oct. 5, 2022

Purchasing a catalytic convertor from anyone other than a licensed auto dismantler or dealer is illegal under a new California law that aims to crack down on theft.

Theft of catalytic converters---devices that are part of vehicle exhaust systems that reduce pollution-causing emissions---has been on the rise within California and nationally in recent years. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, instances of catalytic converter theft rose from 2,198 thefts reported in 2018 to over 14,000 thefts reported in 2020.

Experienced thieves can remove a catalytic

Members of the Los Angeles/Orange County chapter of the California Autobody Association (CAA) recently met in Seal Beach, CA, to network, learn from one another and hear up-to-date industry information.
  
Part of the Sept. 20 event included a presentation from Tim Ronak, senior services business consultant for AkzoNobel, focused on inflation and its impact on the collision ecosystem.

“Tim spoke about the challenges in the economy and our industry that influence what we are charging our customers,” said CAA President Melanie Allan, vice president of Craftsman Collision USA. “As shop owners and managers, we need to take information like this into consideration when running our businesses so we can

Company Says it Has Recent Auto Body Shop Estimate Data for Sale

Written by John Yoswick, Autobody News
Published August 09, 2022

The ongoing discussion about auto body shop data privacy at the quarterly Collision Industry Conference (CIC) meetings took a new turn this summer when an association leader described what a data aggregator company had recently offered to sell to his organization.

Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), said

CAA Says a New Kind of Insurer Steering is Impacting the Industry

Written by Ed Attanasio, Autobody News
Published July 5, 2022

The California Autobody Association (CAA) recently held a one-hour Zoom meeting with the California Department of Insurance (CA-DOI), covering a handful of topics of interest to the entire membership.

One particular subject that has been a pebble in CAA’s shoe for several years was brought up again during the meeting. You might be thinking that pebble was ...

SEMA Challenges EPA's Motorsports Regulations in Court

PublishedMarch 5, 2021

SEMA filed an amicus brief in a lawsuit between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Gear Box Z. Inc. (GBZ) arguing against EPA’s contention that the Clean Air Act (CAA) does not allow a motor vehicle to be converted into a racing vehicle used solely for competition.

The EPA first pursued this controversial interpretation of the CAA as part of a 2015 draft rulemaking, but it quickly withdrew the provision following a huge, SEMA-led public outcry.

In the GBZ litigation, however, the EPA again maintains that once a vehicle has been certified as a street vehicle, it cannot be converted into a racing vehicle, even if that